1. Field
This invention relates generally to apparatus for games and more particularly to devices for practicing the batting of a baseball, softball or the like.
2. State of the Art
The games of baseball and softball are quite popular with many individuals, but both generally require assembling a number of interested players to conduct meaningful practice, especially for batting. Several prior art devices hurl balls past the practicing batter, one after the other, but are economically prohibitive to most recreational players. Less elaborate devices are based upon swinging a practice ball secured to an elongate flexible tether. An assistant propels the ball in an orbital path passing through the practice batter's strike zone. In many of these devices, the tether cord is attached to an elongate wand, which is manipulated in a circular pattern above the head to maintain the attached ball in its orbital path. The leverage of the wand is very tiring to the shoulder, hand and arm, and control is difficult to maintain. Devices incorporating wands are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,942,883 and 4,415,155, in which the wands are manipulated by a single hand. Other devices incorporate short hand grips with swivels for tether attachment, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,209. The shortened hand piece reduces but does not eliminate the leverage on the hand, which must still resist a wrenching, dislodging force.
More complicated devices require the use of two hands on separate tether control handles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,145, for example, discloses an upper handle through which the tether slides, and a lower "T" handle at the end of the tether. This allows the path of the ball to be jiggled to simulate curves, and inside and outside pitches.
When the ball is struck, its direction of flight reverses, the cord slakens and then re-tensions, tending to severely shock the holding hand of the user. Similar, often more severe, shock results when the inaccurately swung bat entangles with the ball end of the tether. To absorb such shocks, U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,287 incorporates a metallic tension spring linking the tether to the handle, an arrangement which is satisfactory for the perforated lightweight shell ball employed. For heavy baseballs or softballs, such springs vibrate and rebound violently. U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,925 incorporate a compression spring interposed between upper and lower hand grips of a two-handed holding arrangement. Upon release of the lower grip, the tether cord slides through an associated wand, until the lower grip is stopped by impact with the compression spring. Attendant vibration is undoubtedly quite severe.
A need therefore remains for an improved batting practice device utilizing an orbiting tethered ball, with more effective batted ball shock absorption and less stressful gripping provisions.